I know I just posted a Thanksgiving prep post yesterday, but I needed to share this recipe with you ASAP! So many people have asked me for it because I taught it almost every day in October in my classes and it is the PERFECT dinner to make on Tuesday for Halloween because itโs dead simple to prep and takes 18 minutes to cook. And it is sooooo good! Uh huh.
You know how strongly I feel about filling up the bellies with good, satisfying food before trick-or-treating. Going out on an empty stomach and being given a sack full of candy is a terrible combination and a recipe for disaster with most children. Make this simple sheet pan chicken dinner as written or with whatever vegetables suit your fancy.
This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs) and quick-cooking vegetables. If you want to use some other veggies, just make sure they will cook in 18-20 minutes, e.g. snap peas, thinly sliced bell peppers, thinly sliced onions, or defrosted frozen vegetables. If you want to roast things like potatoes, winter squash or carrots, youโll need to roast them for a half hour and then add your chicken.
Ideally, everything should be arranged in one layer to promote browning, but I have crowded the pans much more than this when I didnโt have enough sheet pans in class. The dish still turns out great, even if the zucchini doesnโt caramelize. I like to serve this with simple brown rice, cauliflower mashed potatoes or millet-cauliflower mash. You could also do this over cauli-rice. Ther serving size here allows for 4 ounces of chicken per person, which is what we are used to eating in my house, but do what works for you! I have a feeling this recipe will become a new weeknight staple for you. ๐
Sheet Pan Chicken with Artichokes, Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling vegetables
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
- pinch of crushed red pepper
- 1 ยฝ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs, sliced into 1- inch strips
- 3 Tablespoons unrefined, extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 5 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and patted dry (I buy these at Trader Joe's)
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into ยฝ-inch rounds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the salt and spices. Place the chicken in a large container and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and spices. Mix together until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. The further in advance you can do this, the more flavorful the chicken will be.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed full-size sheet pan with parchment paper, unless you are using a stainless steel pan (you should grease the stainless pan). Or use two smaller half-sheet pans.
- Arrange the vegetables on the prepared sheet pan(s) and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the chicken amongst the vegetables in one layer, if possible.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through (do less time if you plan to cover and it and serve it later.) Cut a piece open if you're not sure. There should be no pink color inside.
- If you put more than one sheet pan in the oven, consider cooking on convection at 400 degrees for the same amount of time, but do check it a few minutes early to be safe.
Notes
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Iโve made this meal several times now and itโs consistently delish. I love how easy it is to throw together especially when I have everything on hand. Tisโ the season zucchini, so the more zucchini meal options I have that are easy and healthy, the better!
Totally! Love sheet pan meals for that reason. Have you tried the pasta with melted zucchini sauce recipe on my site? Itโs a great summer dish if youโre trying to use up zucchini.
Iโm an revisiting the sheet pan recipe for tonightโs dinner, and noticed your zucchini sauce suggestion โ Iโll definitely need to try this. Sounds like a good idea when grandkids are here from the reviews from kiddos too โ they can be a tough crowd to please. Pinning it!
Try it! Delish!!
Hi Pamela!
Iโm just curious why you say that you do not need to line stainless steel pans with parchment paper?
Because stainless steel, as opposed to aluminum and nonstick materials, doesnโt leach anything harmful into your food. You can line stainless steel if you want to to make clean up easier though.
Any suggestions what vegetable i can substitute zuchinni with? Making this for the family tonight! Looks delicious:)
Thanks for your help!
Sorry for the late reply. Asparagus would work well. Or you could start hard vegetables like cauliflower early.
Can I make this with fish or shrimp?
Yes! But you would not add the seafood with the vegetables. Depending on what you use (shrimp versus big pieces of fish), you would start roasting the vegetables for 10-13 minutes. Pull the pan out and add the seasoned seafood and then put the pan back in the oven until the seafood is cooked, 5-8 minutes.
This is another simple delicious winner. I used frozen okra in place of the artichokes. It was yummy. I tossed frozen with the other vegetables. Turned out great.
I never think to use okra, but you just gave me an idea! Sounds great!
Hey Pamela. Silly question. Will this come out as delicious if I donโt use cherry tomatoes? Or does the juice from the tomatoes contribute to the moisture and flavor of the chicken? Thank you!
Well, I do think the cherry tomatoes add a nice juiciness to the dish. I think youโd be fine to leave them out though. Did you have another vegetable in mind?
Made this tonightโฆ.delish!
One of my new faves!
This looks great! Canโt wait to make this.
What technique do you use to defrost the artichoke?
Youโll love it! I put the bag of frozen artichokes in a pie plate in the fridge overnight or on my countertop for an hour or so. The pie plate prevents any possible leakage.
Hi quarantine cooking questionโฆI only have about 5 cherry tomatoes left! Should I use a can of tomatoes? Or just use the few I have and call it a day? Also, if I use frozen cauliflower or broccoli do I need to defrost first or can they go on the pan frozen? Thank you for all your cooking help always and especially now!
Use what you have and call it a day! Defrost frozen veg and pat dry with paper towels before using in this recipe. Enjoy!
I am so into this!!! Thank you for my friday night inspiration!!
Youโre going to love!
Is there a specific sheet pan that you love to use, ie: what brand? Also what size sheet pan do you suggest for this recipe?
I like the darker flat (not textured) sheet pans which I havenโt seen recently. Theyโre all either aluminum or non-stick, neither of which is my favorite material. I prefer the aluminum over non-stick though since non-stick chemicals are emitted into the air when theyโre heated. I use unbleached parchment on everything. Bed Bath & Beyond, Sur La Table and restaurant supply stores have a good selection. For this recipe you need a 3/4 sheet pan or 2 half sheet pans.
Made this for lunch. So easy, quick, and delicious!